The Central Criminal Court today heard how a man charged with murdering the 24-year-old Dublin mother of his child had split up with the woman two months before her murder.
Mr Liam Wells (37) Coultry Road, Ballymun pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Linda Dunne at Sillogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin on September 18th 2001.
The accused admitted two further charges of assault causing harm to Mrs Kathleen Dunne and Mr Joseph White at Shangan Avenue, Ballymun on the same date.
The court heard how Ms Dunne died after being stabbed up to 17 times.
On the opening day of the trial Sgt Patrick McMenamin told Mr Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, prosecuting, that on the night of the killing, the accused arrived at Ballymun Garda station at around 9.55 p.m. Sgt McMenamin said he was aware of an incident earlier that night in relation to Ms Dunne and Mr Joseph White.
He said the accused told gardai, "I killed her". When his colleague, Sgt Bernard Young asked, "Killed who?", Mr Wells replied, "My girlfriend, Linda Dunne". The accused informed gardai the dead woman was at her flat at Sillogue Road.
When gardai entered the flat, Sgt McMenamin found Linda Dunne lying on her back on a living-room couch. She had obvious wounds to the right side of her neck, the left side of her head and her wrist, he said. "A lot of blood had soaked down into the couch," he said.
The trial before Mr Justice Carney continues tomorrow.